Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“Told you,” I reply, grinning. “You’re a natural.”
Her progress slows as the holds become smaller and farther apart. I can see the strain in her muscles, the concentration etched on her face. Sweat beads on her forehead, and she pauses to shake out her hands.
“You’re almost there,” I encourage. “Just a few more moves.”
But then it happens. Her foot slips off a hold, and she lets out a startled yelp, her body jerking to the side. My heart lurches but the rope is secure and she’s not going anywhere.
“You’re okay!” I say calmly. “You’re not going anywhere.”
She clings to the wall, her chest heaving as she catches her breath. “Shit,” she exclaims, looking down at me with wide eyes. “I thought I was going to fall.”
“You’re safe,” I say firmly. “You’re not going anywhere. Just take a moment and breathe.”
She nods, her knuckles white as she grips the holds. After a few deep breaths, she steadies herself and looks up at the next hold. “Okay. I’m good.”
“All right,” I say, my voice calm. “You’re doing great. Just take it slow. One hold at a time.”
She starts moving again, her movements more cautious but no less determined. Every inch she climbs higher, I swell with pride. I don’t know what demons she’s running from, but she’s clearly strong and brave enough to overcome her fears. She’s resilient and works hard, and I respect the fuck out of that.
When Farren finally reaches the top, she slaps the edge of the wall and lets out a triumphant shout. “I did it!”
“Hell yeah, you did!” I call up, grinning from ear to ear.
She sits at the top for a moment, looking out over the gym, her expression a mix of exhilaration and disbelief. Her eyes meet mine and the sparkle of mischief has me bracing. “Can we go have sex now?” she calls down.
I groan in embarrassment and start to help her with her descent. She rappels slowly with controlled movements, and when her feet barely touch the ground, I’m taken aback when she throws her arms around my shoulders. “That was amazing! Thank you for pushing me to do that.”
“You killed it,” I say, unable to hide the admiration in my voice as I squeeze her. “That was all you.”
“Not all me,” she counters softly, and it feels like the rest of the noisy gym fades away. It’s just us, standing on solid ground after climbing higher than I think either of us expected. “Team effort.”
The irony isn’t lost on me that she viewed us as a team today, when she’s been so averse to identifying as part of a couple. I don’t point that out though.
“Let’s do it again sometime,” she says, her smile widening.
I chuckle. “You’re on, Abrams.”
And at that moment, I know I’m not just helping Farren climb walls—I’m breaking hers down, one step at a time.
We turn in our equipment and head out to the truck. Once I have it started, I ask, “What do you say about staying at my place for the next couple of days? It’ll save me from driving back and forth, and we can spend more time together.”
She glances at me, her eyes narrowing slightly in mock suspicion. “Are you inviting me to stay over just so I’ll cook for you?”
I grin. “You caught me. My fridge is woefully understocked. Plus, I want sex.”
She laughs, but there’s a flicker of something softer in her expression. “How many nights are we talking?”
“Well, we’ve got the home game tomorrow, then a day off before we head to New York and San Diego. So, three nights?”
She considers, then tilts her head. “All right, but only if you promise to do the dishes if I cook.”
“Deal,” I say, grinning. “But only because I’m terrible at saying no to you.”
We head out of the parking lot and I aim for Rafferty’s condo so she can pack some stuff. Her hand rests on the center console and I itch to take it in mine, pull it over and rest it on my thigh. But that’s just the sort of romantic move that might freak her out, so I resist.
I wonder what she’s thinking as her fingers absently tap against her thigh. She has a thoughtful furrow in her brow.
“So,” I say, breaking the silence as we merge onto the main road, “was today what you expected?”
She turns her head, a faint smile playing at her lips. “Honestly? No. When you said we were doing something fun, I thought maybe it’d be, I don’t know, bowling or mini golf. Not scaling walls like a wannabe Spider-Man.”
I chuckle. “You’re welcome. But come on, admit it—you loved spending time with me outside the bed.”
“We don’t always have sex in a bed. There’s the wall, the couch and the floor.” Her smile widens a fraction. “But it wasn’t terrible just hanging with you.”